


Second Chances Extras

by callboxkat



Series: Second Chances [9]
Category: Sanders Sides, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Homeless, Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, bullet point fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-01-30 21:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21435250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callboxkat/pseuds/callboxkat
Summary: Headcanons, short(ish) fics, and more extras from the Second Chances universe.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Logicality
Series: Second Chances [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1126242
Comments: 25
Kudos: 98





	1. The first time Patton and Logan take Roman shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a bullet point fic that takes place during the story Pressure, inspired by an ask from @icequeenoriginal on tumblr: "Second Chances Headcanon ask: What was it like when Patton and Logan took Roman shopping for the first time?"

-Patton takes Roman out to buy shoes for his interview for the barista job, which Roman only agrees to because neither Patton’s or Logan’s shoes fit him, and he can’t very well wear dirty, hole-filled sneakers to the interview.

-He insists on getting them second-hand, and Patton indulges him.

-Logan doesn’t go because germs.

-Roman’s shy about letting Patton buy the shoes for him, but Patton’s all smiles as they check out.

-When he actually gets the job, Logan and Patton take him to a clothing store to pick him up some nicer things to wear at the job, as a sort of celebration.

-At first Roman is very shy about it, like last time.

-He picks out a couple of packages of socks that are on sale for half price, in white and black, and a cheap pack of boxers.

-But other than that that just wanders around the store, idly checking out price tags, wincing minutely, and putting things back.

-He feels the back of his neck burn and wishes that Logan and Patton weren’t watching the whole time.

-At first he claims that he doesn’t like anything; then, later, because he doesn’t want to seem ungrateful, that it’s all too expensive.

-Logan and Patton exchange a look.

-They tell him to pick out a sweater, two dress shirts, and a pair of slacks, and to come get them when he’s finished.

-“After that, we’ll get the rest second-hand. But I insist that you have new clothes for your job and for potential future interviews.”

-Patton’s method of persuasion, meanwhile, is some fierce puppy dog eyes. It’s very effective.

-Roman goes red, but he complies.

-Logan gets himself a new tie, and Patton picks out some corgi-patterned socks.

-Roman knows that neither of them need these things, and that they picked them out so he’d feel less awkward as the only one buying clothes.

-It’s appreciated, if embarrassing.

-Patton also grabs a reversible black and brown belt for Roman, which is good because the pants he picked out are a bit loose on him, for fear that they’ll get too tight too soon (he is very thin when they first meet, so it’s a legitimate fear).

-They also make him pick out a watch. Roman doesn’t have a phone, so he needs one.

-It has a red band, a gold case and lettering, and a white face. It was on sale, but Logan and Patton don’t make a fuss about him choosing one of the cheapest watches since they can tell he really likes it.

-Although, he was also eyeing the Disney themed ones when he thought they weren’t looking. Patton makes a mental note for future reference.

-Later on, they go to a second-hand store for more clothes. Logan allows himself to be dragged along but refuses to touch anything.

-if Roman conveniently tends to like the items that happen to be on sale even then, they decide not to say anything, because at least he was persuaded to pick out a few new things, too.

-When they get home, Patton makes him try things on and show them to the two boyfriends in a sort of impromptu fashion show. Patton cheers and they both offer compliments on how good he looks.

-Roman gets very flustered, which just makes it even better.


	2. Ten Facts and Headcanons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These include spoilers up to Roman's Story.

1\. The first part was initially going to be a one-shot, but I changed my mind five minutes after posting it. 

2\. I like to think that someone figured out what Jay did and just. fricking decked him.

3\. If I’d made Roman’s dad Hispanic instead of his mom, his name would have been Roman Reyes instead of Roman Prince.

4\. Logan’s and Patton’s friends have taken bets on who’s going to propose first, and when. It’s a popular bet that they’re going to try to propose at the same time.

5\. Patton and Logan work out. Logan does it for health reasons, Patton does it to more easily carry dogs and to give better hugs. And also because he gets to hang out with his boyfriend.

6\. Val and Logan got a house together partially because it’s easier to afford that way, partially because Val worries about her baby brother.

7\. Patton donates items to food kitchens and the homeless shelter because he’s been homeless before and wants to help out people in that situation.

8\. Thomas is trans.

9\. Logan is ridiculously good at a bunch of different puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles, word searches, Rubix cubes, mazes…. He can destroy you at any of them.

10\. Logan introduces Roman to Crofter’s.


	3. Roman's first holiday with Patton and Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by an ask from an anon on tumblr: "What was Roman’s first birthday/holiday at Logan and Patton’s house like?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during part 2, Adjustments.

Funnily enough, the first holiday that Roman spent at Logan and Patton’s house was the day after Logan found him: the 4th of July. Patton and Logan had originally planned to go and see the city’s fireworks that evening, but because of the whole situation with Roman, they changed their evening plans. During the day, they still went to a party in the early afternoon with friends, but Logan came home afterwards (5pm) and Patton did the same after running an errand related to his summer class (5:30). Watching the Disney movies together doubled as a way to make Roman feel welcome as well as to celebrate the holiday. Roman didn’t quite realize what day it was, though, funnily enough, since no one said anything about it to him and their neighborhood usually doesn’t have anyone set off fireworks at home.

I absolutely will go more into future holidays, when they come up in the fic :)

For now, here's a conversation that happens between Logan and Patton during Adjustments:

“So… I suppose this means no fireworks tomorrow,” Patton said, stirring the spaghetti. Tomorrow happened to be the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. There were events going on across the city, including a festival in the park that the boyfriends hadn’t been planning on attending, but also a fireworks display, which they had.

“No, I suppose not,” Logan agreed, standing at his side and looking through the spice cabinet. “Unfortunately, given the circumstances, I feel that not attending is the best option.”

Patton glanced over and gently bumped their hips together. “Aw, Lo, don’t sound so sad about it,” he joked. “It’s okay. I know you don’t like going.”

“I enjoy attending the fireworks,” Logan protested.

“Oh, you do?” Patton’s smile was audible in his voice. “Since when are you mister ‘Hooray loud noises!’?”

“I don’t enjoy the fireworks _themselves_,” Logan clarified. “But I do enjoy the event, as _you _enjoy the colorful, explosive display.”

“Well, ‘course I do,” Patton agreed. “But I can miss them this year.”

Logan picked out a few containers of spices and set them down on the counter. “Are you okay with that?”

“Sure!” Patton said. “I mean, we could ask Roman if he wants to go, but from what you told me, I really don’t think he will.”

Logan hummed. “I’d be inclined to agree,” he said. “Although… I suppose this also means we are no longer going to Leo’s get-together? If that is the case, I should contact him now to let him know.”

Patton frowned slightly. “Oh, I’d hate to disappoint Leo like that.”

“He will still have plenty of other guests attending,” Logan assured him. “Our absence won’t dampen his enjoyment of the holiday.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he sighed. His spoon stirred through the pot again.

“Well…” Logan said, thinking. “Perhaps we could still attend the party, but return here afterwards. I imagine that Roman will want to rest most of the day, anyhow.”

Patton paused, then nodded, although he still looked conflicted. “I don’t want him to feel left out,” he said.

“He is not acquainted with anyone else in attendance,” Logan said. “I doubt he would feel anything but out of place, even if he did want to join us.”

“That’s true.”

“Should we tell him about our plans when we bring him downstairs for dinner?” Logan asked.

Patton turned off the burner on the stove. He made a thoughtful noise. “If he mentions it,” he decided, “we can. But… maybe it’d be better if we didn’t.”

“How so?” Logan’s eyebrows knit together.

“If we tell him, he might get embarrassed that we changed our plans for him, right?

Logan shrugged, reaching for the strainer. “I don’t know that he’ll care.”

Patton followed his boyfriend to the sink, pouring the noodles into the strainer when Logan had set it in the sink. “Let’s just get through dinner, and we can see what happens.”

“That sounds acceptable.”

Patton reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “All right, then! I’ll heat up the pasta sauce, and then we can go get Roman!”

Logan paused. "About that. I think it I should go alone to fetch him tonight. He may not be appreciative of being woken by a stranger, even one as sweet as you."

"Oh." Patton pouted in disappointment, then brightened again. "Well, hurry back, okay?"

Logan nodded, briefly linked their hands together, then walked off towards the staircase.


	4. A Spicy Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Patton’s and Logan’s anniversary, and Patton decides that the best way to celebrate is for everyone to go out to a fun restaurant! This takes place between Pressure and Puzzling it Out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on an anonymous ask on tumblr: "Omg these Second Chances mini fics fill my heart so much. Could I ask about Roman’s first time going out to eat with his dads I mean Logan and Patton?"  
This was going to originally be a bullet point fic, but I don't know when to stop, so I wrote it out! The bullet point fic is included at the end.

Roman admired the coloring page he was working on. He had admittedly gone a little outside the lines, but he really liked how it was turning out. He enjoyed taking simple coloring page designs and making complex drawings out of them. This page had come from an old coloring book that had once been Patton’s, until the other man gifted it to Roman, saying that he would probably never get around to finishing it.

“Ready to go?”

Roman jumped and looked up. Logan stood in the doorway of the guest room, wearing his jacket and with his hair combed even more neatly than usual.

Roman awkwardly set down the colored pencil he was using. “Go where?” he asked, very much pretending that Logan hadn’t surprised him.

“My apologies, I was under the impression you knew. We are going out to a restaurant tonight, since it is the anniversary of my and Patton’s relationship.”

Roman’s mouth hung open slightly, processing. “Wait… you don’t want me to go with you guys to that, do you?”

Logan frowned. “Why wouldn’t we? Val is coming, too, if you are worried about being a….” He paused, as if trying to remember the phrase he wanted to use. “A ‘third wheel’. Not to pressure you, but Patton also seems excited at the prospect of all four of us going, and he might be disappointed if you do not.”

“Well, we can’t disappoint Patton,” Roman said, smiling uncertainly.

“So, you will come? We’re hoping to leave within the next ten minutes, if you are.”

Roman nodded. “Count me in.”

“Splendid.”

About five minutes later, Roman was ready. He dressed in one of the dress shirts and a pair of slacks that Patton and Logan had gotten him for job interviews, wanting to look nice for the anniversary dinner even though it wasn’t _his_ anniversary. When he came downstairs, though, he was a little disconcerted to see that he might have been a bit overdressed compared to the others (except Logan, but he always dressed like that). No one said anything about it, though; and they all went out to the car. No one told Roman where they were going, so he simply allowed himself to be ushered into a seat. Patton, in the driver’s seat, was smiling, while his boyfriend sat in the passenger’s seat looked fondly exasperated. It was a common expression on him these days, Roman noted.

Val was seated beside Roman in the back seat. Things were a little tense between them at times, still, but she seemed to be warming up to him. She seemed to notice his confusion and leaned marginally towards him with a smirk.

“Just go with it, don’t worry. Patton chose the restaurant. We’re all just along for the ride.”

Soon, they pulled up to a Mexican restaurant, which Roman could tell even from the outside wouldn’t be all that authentic; but it had a cheery atmosphere. When they turned off the car and got out, he could hear faint music spilling out of open windows and the door whenever patrons came and went. Colorful lights glowed within.

When they stepped inside, Roman could tell why Patton liked this place so much. String lights shaped like white sombreros or pink llamas or red, green, and yellow chilies were strung along the windows and across the ceiling along with sheets of colorful papel picado. Cheery music and the sounds of chatter and conversation filled the air. Whatever wall space wasn’t taken up by various art pieces, photographs, and even a small guitar or two was painted a warm honey mustard yellow. A large Mexican flag hung in the entryway. Past the counter where a waiter stood ready to seat the guests, Roman could see tables with bouquets, pitchers of salsa, and bowls of chips set out on them.

Perhaps it was all a bit much, and Roman was very aware of how stereotypical the place was, but honestly, he was okay with that. It was stereotypical in a fun way.

“Hola,” said the waiter, picking up a stack of menus. “Four of y’all tonight?”

“Yep!” Patton said.

The waiter led them to a corner table and set down the menus, making sure they were all comfortably settled before they went off to tend to their other tables.

Val had already opened her menu, scanning its contents as she absently reached for the chips and salsa. Patton was showing Logan one of the llama string lights, pointing out how cute it was and saying that he had to see if he could find where the restaurant had gotten them.

Roman opened his own menu, like Val; but unlike her, he was more focused on the prices he saw there than the items themselves.

“Oh no,” Patton whispered, giggling. Roman glanced up to see that he’d spilled a bit of the salsa on the table.

“No harm done,” Logan replied, handing him a napkin.

Roman went back to the menu. The prices glared back at him.

_I should just stick to the chips. Maybe a side of yellow rice or something. _He glanced towards the sides menu, biting his lip.

“Hey, no!” Patton said, visibly upset. Roman looked up sharply, startled, and realized that he must have mumbled that out loud.

“Don’t just get a side,” Patton insisted. “Get what you want, or I’ll fight you.”

Logan patted his boyfriend on the back. Val glanced between them all, one eyebrow raised. Patton was far from threatening, but Roman felt his ears burn.

“Okay, okay,” he quickly relented. Patton relaxed.

“Don’t worry about the price,” he said. “It’s our treat.”

“As long as your order is within reason, you may request it,” Logan added.

Roman nodded, staring down at the menu.

Not long after, the waiter materialized over Val’s shoulder.

“Can I get some drink orders?” they asked, pen and paper at the ready, a pleasant smile in place.

Roman, who had conveniently just stuffed a chip full of salsa in his mouth, quickly waved for someone else to go first to save his poor dignity.

Val looked up at them. “Horchata, please,” she requested.

“Oooh, I want the hot chocolate,” Patton said cheerfully. “The Mexican one? It sounds good.”

Logan glanced at his boyfriend. “Ah,” he asked the waiter, “how spicy is the Mexican hot chocolate?”

“It’s a little spicy, but we can make it on the milder side, if you’d like?”

“Yes, I think that would be good,” he said, nodding. He turned back to his boyfriend. “What do you think, sweetheart?”

“Oh, okay,” Patton replied, smiling. “I wouldn’t want to lose my taste buds because they choc-a-lot of spices in there!”

Logan groaned at the pun, putting his head in his hands.

“Nice,” the waiter said, his customer service smile turning more genuine.

“I will have a lime soda,” Logan said into his hands, enunciating to be understood. “And I would appreciate an additional horchata, as well.”

Roman guessed that horchata was for Patton, in case the hot chocolate or his food was still too spicy for him.

The waiter turned expectantly to Roman. Thankfully, this time, he didn’t have any food in his mouth.

“Um…” Roman scanned the drinks, not actually having made a decision before this moment. “I’ll have the hot chocolate, too.”

“Alright, sounds good… and will y’all be needing another moment to decide on food? If not, I can take that now, and it’ll get out quicker.”

Logan slowly removed his face from his hands, sighing as if needing to recover from Patton’s pun.

Patton folded his menu. “Oh, well, I’m ready, what about…?”

After a moment, they agreed to go ahead and order. Patton went first, asking for the veggie taco meal. Logan, after him, ordered chicken fajitas; but of course, he had to point out as he did so that fajitas were an American invention, and not a truly authentic Mexican food.

“Yes, yes, Lo, you said that last time one of us had fajitas,” Val said, rolling her eyes at her brother. “I’ll have the… ‘Mega Spicy Chicken’.”

“Oh, really?” the waiter asked, looking at her appraisingly. “When they say ‘mega spicy’, they mean it.”

Roman glanced down at the menu and quickly found what the waiter was talking about. The dish had four flaming chili peppers printed next to it.

“I’m sure,” Val responded cheerily, closing her menu.

“I’ll get that, too,” Roman said impulsively. Val glanced at him.

Sure, it was spicy, but Roman was a proud Latino. He could handle it. Plus, since Val had ordered it, Roman was pretty sure that Logan would consider the order’s price to be “within reason”. Most of the prices on the menu weren’t all that expensive to the family, he knew, especially since he got the idea that they didn’t eat out often; but it was a nice reassurance regardless.

“Okay,” the waiter shrugged, writing it down.

…

As the waiter set down everyone’s drinks, they smiled and said, “Just so y’all know, we have a special going on right now. If you can eat an entire ghost pepper in thirty seconds, without drinking anything until you’re done, your drink will be free.”

“Oh, sign me up,” Val said, grinning.

Not to be outdone (and happy to potentially lessen the bill), Roman said, “Me too.”

Logan’s eyebrows went up, and Patton started protesting before Roman had even finished speaking.

“Wait, Roman, you don’t have to do that, we’re perfectly happy to—”

Roman waved them off. “No, no, it’s okay, promise.”

Patton frowned at him. “But… it’s a _ghost pepper_.” He whispered the words “ghost pepper” as if he was afraid that an actual ghost would hear them.

“I know, Pat,” Roman said, smiling confidently and sitting up straight with a dramatic flair. “I shall vanquish this beast, don’t you worry!”

Patton gave him one more worried look, but he didn’t argue further. Val, meanwhile, gave him a knowing look, taking a small sip of her horchata.

Despite his projected confidence, Roman was already starting to have doubts when the waiter walked off. He had a feeling he might regret this. Roman could handle some heat, but ghost peppers were some of the hottest peppers out there.

It was too late to back out now.

Within a minute, the waiter was back. With a mariachi band.

At first, Roman thought that maybe they just happened to be walking by each other, that maybe the restaurant had hired the small band to walk around sometimes and play. But, no, they were definitely all headed to their table.

“Oh my god,” Val said, hiding a laugh behind her hand.

The waiter stopped before their table, a microphone and two small plates in hand.

“_Buenos noches_, everyone!” the waiter said into the microphone, their voice carrying easily over the music. Roman barely registered the incorrect Spanish, suddenly very nervous. “Two of our patrons have decided to take up the ghost pepper challenge tonight! Let’s cheer them on!” Based on the grin on the waiter’s face, this was their favorite part of the job.

Cheers went up all over the restaurant as the waiter set down two small plates, one in front of Val and one in front of Roman. They were each plain white, empty save for a single, 3-inch-long orange pepper. Val grinned, appearing both amused and a little embarrassed by the attention.

Roman was pretty sure his face was burning red even though he hadn’t yet taken a single bite of the pepper. He was not expecting so much fanfare to come with this challenge.

He glanced at Patton and Logan. Patton had started bouncing in anticipation, his hands pressed together; and Logan clapped politely, looking around at all the other customers watching them.

_It can’t be that bad_, Roman told himself, delicately picking up the pepper by the stem.

He was wrong.

Tears sprung in his eyes with the first bite, his mouth immediately aflame. He quickly choked down the rest of the pepper. His throat tried to close up, rejecting even the thought of swallowing it, but Roman forced it down. He panted, opening his mouth for the waiter to see that he’d swallowed it. He barely heard the cheers as they announced that he’d done it.

Val finished a second later, and the cheering got louder. The mariachi band resumed playing, louder than before, and the waiter clapped, glee on their face.

Roman had already snatched up his glass of water, and he was chugging it. He finished the whole thing, reached instinctively for his hot chocolate, remembered that it was spicy, and instead grabbed the extra horchata that Logan had ordered. Logan watched in amusement as he did, but Roman didn’t even think about the fact that he’d stolen it until half of it was gone.

Realization struck him, and he slowly moved the drink away from his lips even though his mouth was still burning. “Um… sorry,” he gasped, setting it down. He wiped at his eyes with the hand that hadn’t touched the pepper. He hadn’t noticed when the band and the waiter left, but they must have done so at some point, for they were alone again.

Val, who had drunk quite a bit of her own horchata, was clearly trying not to laugh. Her eyes, visible over the rim, were crinkled with humor.

Logan chuckled. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “That was quite amusing to watch.”

…

Roman tried very hard not to laugh, watching as his former nemesis carefully cut up his fajitas with a knife and fork.

“Ah, behold,” Val said, her tone suggesting that this was not at all unusual, “the one true way to eat a fajita.”

“It’s neater this way,” Logan claimed, lifting a forkful to his mouth.

As if to demonstrate, Patton picked up one of his veggie tacos. When he went to take a bite, about a quarter of its contents fell out the other end. “Whoopsie-doodles!”

The corner of Val’s mouth quirked up. “Maybe,” she admitted, going back to her own food.

Roman, meanwhile, had some regrets about ordering his own spicy dish. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the ghost pepper had been, but the heat seemed to build the more he ate. He drank quite a bit of his water, trying to cool down his poor mouth.

After a while, Logan silently pushed the extra horchata in his direction, casting him a knowing look. Roman gratefully accepted it, since it seemed Patton didn’t want it. The younger man was happily eating his messy tacos and drinking his hot chocolate. No one pointed out the mustache the drink left on his face.

With the blessing of the horchata helping to quell Roman’s burning mouth, he found that he quite liked the food. And for most of the rest of the meal, they ate, and they talked, and they cheered along with everyone else when another patron decided to try eating the ghost pepper.

Roman almost forgot about his hot chocolate, until Patton asked him if he liked it, seeming confused about the fact that the cup was still full.

“Oh—yeah, it’s really good!” Roman assured even though he hadn’t taken a sip yet, picking it up. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“No need to be sorry,” Logan assured, before taking another careful bite of his fajita.

Regardless, Roman took that moment to take a sip of his hot chocolate. It had cooled somewhat, and it wasn’t very spicy. Perhaps they had made his mild, too, like Patton’s. But the taste of cinnamon was strong. He felt a strong sense of familiarity—it wasn’t quite the same, but it really reminded him of….

A lump rose in Roman’s throat. He set down the mug, not having expected that reaction.

Val snorted. “You ate a ghost pepper, and now the hot chocolate is making you tear up?” she asked jokingly.

Roman forced himself to laugh, reaching for the horchata even though he didn’t need it. “Alright, you caught me, I’m a disgrace to my Latino brethren.”

Thankfully, the moment soon passed.

They went back to just talking and enjoying the rest of their meal. Roman didn’t touch the hot chocolate again, but he ate nearly half of his entrée. Logan continued to eat his fajitas with a fork, attracting snickers from a couple of kids seated at a nearby table. The waiter stopped by a few times to refill drinks and check in on them. Patton told the story of how he and Logan had met, talking mostly to Roman since he was the only one who didn’t know the story. And they all went home with plenty of leftovers.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad night.

…

…

**And now, the bullet point fic!!**

…

-This takes place between when Roman gets his job offer and when he starts actually working. So, between Pressure and Puzzling it Out.

-Everybody goes out to celebrate the anniversary of Patton’s and Logan’s relationship!

-This is after Val decided to give Roman a chance, plus Logan’s her brother, so she’s part of the gang

-No there’s nothing weird about them all going shut up

-This is Patton, he wants his famILY to celebrate with them

-Roman is ushered into a car without knowing where they’re going. Logan seems a bit exasperated, Patton is smiling, and Val just smirks and tells him that it’s Patton’s idea and to go with it

-They go to a not-so-authentic but quite fun Mexican restaurant

-On to the restaurant.

-It is a sight. We’re talking string lights shaped like red, green, and yellow chilies, colorful banners, papel picado, cheery music spilling from the speakers, and waiters walking around with platters of food and drink. There’s bouquets of flowers, pitchers of salsa, and bowls of chips on the tables. It’s one of those places where there’s art and various decorations all over the walls, including photos of famous people who have eaten there (it’s a small number, but more than Roman would have expected). A Mexican flag is hung behind the counter where a waiter waits to seat people.

-Maybe it’s a bit much, and maybe a little stereotypical, but admittedly in a fun way; so Roman rolls with it.

-they get a table in one of the corners, and they’re all given menus. Roman is a bit overwhelmed, looking at all the prices

-He accidentally mumbles aloud that he might just stick to the chips and salsa and a side of yellow rice, and Patton threatens to fight him if he doesn’t get something more than that

-The waiter comes back to give out water and take their orders

-Roman had just put a chip in his mouth so he frantically waves for someone else to go first

-Patton gets veggie tacos, Logan chicken fajitas (“Fajitas are actually an American invention, not a truly Mexican food” “Yes, Logan, you said that last time, too” (Val)), and Val gets just about the spiciest thing on the menu, something called “Mega Spicy Chicken” There are four flaming chili peppers next to it.

-As a proud Latino and a lover of taking up challenges, Roman gets the same thing.

-Doing so has the added bonus of Roman being able to reassure himself that he’s “allowed” to get something with that price

-Roman and Patton both get Mexican hot chocolate, Val gets horchata, and Logan gets a bottle of lime soda. He also wisely orders an extra horchata for Patton, very aware that Patton does not deal well with heat

-When the waiter returns with the drinks, they claim that the restaurant is having a special where if you can eat an entire 3-inch ghost pepper within thirty seconds, your drink is free

-Val happily accepts, and, not to be outdone, Roman does the same

-Patton starts to protest, saying Roman doesn’t have to do that just to make his order cheaper, and Logan’s eyebrows go up, but Roman just waves them off, saying it’ll be fine. Val knows what’s up and looks at Roman with a glint in her eyes.

-Roman is already beginning to have regrets

-And then the waiter returns with the peppers. And a mariachi band.

-Yes, a mariachi band

-“Two of our patrons have decided to take up the ghost pepper challenge tonight! Let’s cheer them on!” the waiter calls out over the music. This is clearly their favorite part of the job.

-Cheers go up all over the restaurant. Patton is bouncing, Val’s grinning in a simultaneously amused and embarrassed way, and Logan politely claps. Roman’s gone red and he hasn’t even eaten the pepper yet.

-The plates are set down. Plain white and empty save for a single pepper in the middle.

-How bad could it be? Roman tells himself.

-Turns out, pretty bad

-He does finish the pepper though

-He downs his entire glass of water, and, knowing that his Mexican hot chocolate is spicy, shamelessly steals about half of the extra horchata before he can think about it

-Val’s eyes are watering, and she also drinks quite a bit of her horchata, but she’s also trying not to laugh at Roman’s reaction

-He even gets a chuckle out of Logan

-“You did it!” Patton cheers. “You didn’t die!”

-Logan eats his fajitas with a fork and knife. Roman tries not to laugh. Val and Patton are clearly used to this, but that won’t stop Val from teasing him about it.

-Patton, meanwhile, keeps losing the insides of his veggie tacos when he goes to take a bite

-Roman has regrets about ordering his spicy food, and Logan knowingly hands over the extra horchata, since Patton seems okay without it. He has his water to counteract the spice in his hot chocolate, and the veggie tacos aren’t very spicy

-Roman waits until near the end to actually take a sip of his own Mexican hot chocolate

-They went light on the spice, but the cinnamon is strong. Roman gets a little choked up at the familiarity

“You ate a ghost pepper and now the hot chocolate is making you tear up?” Val asks jokingly, unfortunately noticing but fortunately not understanding what’s actually happening

-Roman laughs along with her. “Okay, you caught me, I’m a disgrace to my Latino brethren.”

-The moment passes

-They go back to happily talking. Logan and Patton talk about how they met, since Roman doesn’t know the story, drinks get refilled, music plays, Logan keeps eating his fajitas with a fork. It’s fun.


	5. The Phone Call Bonus End Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand :)

Roman sat alone in his room, staring down at the phone in his hand for a long time after the call had ended. His thoughts were churning in his mind like the spin cycle of a laundry machine. The talk with his parents, and especially his dad had been… Well, it had had to happen. But it wasn’t easy. They were understandably angry, and Roman wasn’t sure that things would ever go back to how they bad once been. But whatever happened, it had to be better than the five lonely years before, right?

He hoped so. He wasn’t sure he could take it otherwise.

Roman let out a long, shaky breath, and sat up straight at last. He had to give Patton his phone back.

He got to his feet, brushing at his eyes with his free hand. He smiled widely, walking to the door, and let his expression fall into something more neutral before he opened the door.

Patton was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, hovering on the landing. He looked up at the sound of Roman’s footsteps, and Roman smiled at him.

“I’ve got your phone,” he said as brightly as he could. Maybe too brightly. Whoops.

Patton said nothing; just waited for Roman to reach him, opened his arms, and pulled Roman into a hug.

Roman went still, then relaxed into the hug, letting his own arms come up around Patton. He smelled like laundry detergent and sugar.

“How’d it go?” Patton asked softly.

Roman sighed, a little shaky. “I talked to my dad,” he said.

“You did?”

“Yeah….”

Patton didn’t push for Roman to elaborate. His hug was warm, and safe, and comforting. Like he was fully willing to hold Roman up if that was he needed.

Roman hesitated for a long moment, then let his head rest on Patton’s shoulder. Patton just hugged him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry guys, Roman got his hug!


	6. Roman and Logan Illustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An illustration from a scene from Second Chances, just after Logan first discovers Roman.


	7. The Phone Call Translations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> English translations for Roman's conversations with his mom in the story The Phone Call. Words in italics were originally in Spanish.

Roman hit the call button.

The phone rang. Only once this time.

“Hello, who is this?” 

Roman inhaled shakily.

_“Hi, Mom,”_ he said, fleetingly proud of the fact that his voice hardly wobbled.

There was an audible sigh on the other end of the line. Roman’s heart dropped to his stomach.

_“¿Son, why are you calling me?”_

Roman swallowed, his heart sinking even further at her tone. She didn’t want to hear from him; of course she didn’t want to hear from him; why would she? He should have just stayed away. What had he thought would happen? Of course she hated him. He would have ended the call right then, but he felt too devastated to move.

_“¿Are you already in trouble again? Re—”_

Roman gasped loudly, realization hitting him; and his _mom_ broke off in surprise. She thought he was his brother. Of course, he should have realized sooner.

_“No, no, Mom,”_ he said desperately. _“It’s me. It’s Roman.”_

There was a pause. Roman could feel himself sweating. His heart pattered discordantly, like a stone falling down a staircase. A tiny flame of hope flared within him, one he didn’t dare allow to grow. He beat it down in silence, waiting. It felt like decades before his _mom_ responded.

_“¿Is this a joke? ¿Are you making fun of me?”_

She thought it was a joke, that he—or rather, Roman’s twin brother—was making fun of her. _“No, Mom, I promise. I’m Roman.”_ His voice broke, shaking as he fought to get the words out. That must have been what convinced her.

_“¿…Roman?”_ she repeated, breathy, shocked.

Patton’s hand rubbed his back in slow circles. Logan was silent, clearly uncomfortable and unsure how to help; but he hadn’t left, which Roman appreciated.

_“Yes,”_ Roman confirmed once more. _“Yes, it’s me.”_ He took a breath. _“Mom, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry—”_

Roman’s _mom_ found her voice at the same time. _“Roman, my son, where are you? What happened? Sweetheart, sweetheart—”_ She was crying, talking so fast Roman could barely keep up, asking what had happened, where he had been all this time, if he was okay, why he had disappeared.

All Roman could seem to do was to keep repeating that he was okay and that he was sorry. Patton kept rubbing between his shoulder blades. Logan was studying the floor.

…

Patton was slowly rubbing Roman’s back, trying to offer his silent support as his friend called his mom for the first time since he’d disappeared five years before. He could only properly hear half the conversation, although he could hear Roman’s _mom's_ muffled voice through the speaker—she must have been practically shouting, and Patton couldn’t exactly blame her. He didn’t speak Spanish, but he caught a few words here and there. Names, phrases like _“It's me”_ and _“I'm sorry"_ that were repeated over and over again. At one point, he heard Roman’s _mom_ shout, very clearly, something that Patton was pretty sure meant “We thought you were dead!”

Slowly, as time went on, the exchange began to calm down, becoming more of a proper conversation. Patton couldn’t have told you what exactly they said; but he didn’t mind not being able to listen in, or that Roman had probably chosen to speak in Spanish for this exact reason. This way, he could be supportive without any guilt about eavesdropping.

He just kept rubbing a hand between Roman’s shoulder blades, waiting.

After a while, Roman moved the phone away from his lips, glancing furtively at Patton. “She, um… she wants me to come see her.”

Patton smiled at him. “That’s good, isn’t it? I’m sure she’s missed you.”

Roman nodded, looking worried.

“If you are concerned about potentially missing work,” Logan offered, “you can call and ask for the time off. You could also utilize a weekend, and minimize any potential missed time.”

Roman still looked unsure.

Patton opened his mouth, to ask what he was thinking, but Roman was already returning to the call.

…

_“Is _Dad_ home?”_ Roman asked, avoiding answering his _mom'__s_ question about a visit for the moment.

His _mom_ hesitated, then responded_, “I’m sorry, Roman, he isn’t. He works today. I’m sorry. I know you want to speak with him, too.”_

Roman’s eyes flicked downwards. He felt a conflicting mixture of relieved and disappointed that his dad wasn’t there to answer the call. _“No, no, don’t worry about it. I can call him another time.”_ There would be plenty of time to talk to him later, surely?

_“I’m sorry. And Roman? Please, tell me. _ _Are you safe? _ _You’re not in danger?”_

_“I’m safe,”_ he reassured her. He was safe now, anyway. _“I’m with… with some friends, in a city southwest of Saint Gabriel. Their names are Logan, Patton and Val. They’re helping me. I’m calling you on Patton’s phone, actually.”_

_“I’m glad that you’re safe, and with friends. But, my son, you still haven’t answered me. Where were you for so long? Where are you now? What happened?”_

Roman swallowed. _“Well…”_

The conversation was a bit of a blur after that. His _mom_ was very upset, of course, as Roman had known she would be. She wanted answers, and Roman knew he owed them to her. Still, there was only so much he could say without breaking down completely.

He told her the basics. That he had been rejected from Saint Gabriel, that he had been embarrassed to tell his parents, and that he had ended up homeless until very recently. He told her that he had a job now, and that he was staying with some friends. There were certain things that he left out, a lot of things; but regardless, Roman’s _mom_ sounded absolutely heartbroken.

At one point while he spoke, Logan had left and come back with a few glasses of water. Roman took a sip from his, casting a brief, grateful glance in Logan’s direction.

Finally, they agreed that they would talk about everything in person as soon as possible, and that Roman would call her every night until then—this, of course, he okayed with Patton, first.

_“¿When can I call_ Dad?” Roman asked. He would like to talk with his dad as soon as possible. Now that he’d ripped off the band-aid, contacting his parents at all, putting it off would only draw out his stress.

_“Hmm… I should speak with him first.”_

_“¿I can’t talk to him tonight?” _Roman frowned. He supposed he understood his _mom_ wanting to talk to his dad before he did, so that he wasn’t as taken off guard as she was; but she was talking like Roman might not be able to call him that night at all.

She hesitated. _“Roman, there’s something that you need to know…”_

_..._

_..._

**(Later scene below)**

_..._

_..._

“Here you go, kiddo,” Patton said, handing over his cell phone.

“Thanks,” Roman said, looking down at it.

“Do you want me to stay?”

Roman shook his head. Patton didn’t need to hear his dad’s anger. “Thanks, though.”

Patton nodded, smiled at him, and went out into the hall.

Roman pulled his legs up on the bed and crossed them, still looking down at the phone. When he decided he was about as ready as he was going to get, he selected his _mom’s_ contact and hit the call button.

She picked up almost immediately. _“Roman? Is that you?”_

Roman smiled weakly, rubbing his jeans with one hand. _“Hi, Mom.”_

_“How are you?”_

_“I’m fine… and you?”_

_“I’m good, my son, very good. I’m very happy to hear your voice.”_

Roman looked down, a little embarrassed. “I missed you, too.”

“I have your dad here, _if you want to speak to him.”_

Roman hesitated. Was he ready to talk to his dad?

“…Um. _Yes. _ Yes.”


End file.
